A Better Man
by unbroken.dreams
Summary: Re-Written Ending of the "If I never meet you, then I never have to lose you."-Scene of the Season 5 finale. Suliet Oneshot!


Hey guys!

So, I'm currently doing this LOST re-run and every time I do I just fall in love with James & Juliet all over again. They will always be one of my favourite OTPs ever. So I wrote a little something about them.

I really just re-wrote the ending of the scene, where Juliet tells James that if she never got to meet him, she never had to lose him... because I always felt like James should have kept her from walking away from him like that.

I hope you like it!

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_**A Better Man.**_

"I need you to tell me where all this is coming from. I mean, one minute, you're leading the great sub escape, and now you're on board with blowing up the damn Island? I got a right to know _why_ you changed your mind." James had run past Juliet to talk to her about this whole situation and had gotten her to stop.

It took her a while to answer.

"I changed my mind when I saw you look at her." When he began to object she whispered: "Don't. Don't... Don't."

"I don't care who I looked at. I'm with _you_."

"And you would stay with me forever if I let you, and that is why I will always love you." Again, James tried to say something but she didn't gave him the chance. "What we had, it was just for a little while, and just because we love each other, it doesn't mean that we're meant to be together. I mean, maybe we were _never_ supposed to be together. So if Jack can make it that-that none of you ever come here, then he should." She was talking real fast. It seemed to him she needed to, otherwise she might not be able to say any of these things.

"Why are you doing this, Juliet?"

The beauty of her blue eyes was muffled by the sadness mirroring in them, as she looked at him. "I... if I never meet you, then I never have to lose you."

Juliet walked past him but James grabbed her by her arm, saying: "Oh, no, you don't..."

"Let go of me."

"No. We are going to talk about this. Because we don't know what's gonna happen once Jackass over there blows up that bomb."

Juliet looked at him, desperately trying to pull herself together. And she managed. A couple of tears ran down her cheek but she wasn't falling apart. That was something he always admired about her. Aside from her he'd only seen that kind of self-control with Benji-Boy, but he was a crazy sociopath, so that point was going to Juliet.

"We don't have to talk about anything, James. I _understand_. I knew what I was getting myself into. I just... never expected I ever had to deal with it."

He frowned. "What do you mean, you knew what you were getting yourself into?"

When she didn't reply he demanded: "Tell me."

She looked back at him for a very long moment before she said: "You never got the chance to get over her. You were _madly_ in love with her when you got separated..."

He got the point. He did. Juliet used to have feelings for Jack, but James had actually been in love with Kate. There was a big difference.

A difference, that obviously scared Juliet, enough to change her mind about Jack's suicidal plan.

A difference, which he hadn't left himself think of, ever since they'd come back. Because deep down inside, James was scared as well. Scared of what he'd find. Judging by the look on Juliet's face, though, she was convinced she knew the answer already. She was scared out of her mind, he could see that, because she thought this small part inside of James might destroy their relationship.

But he wouldn't let it.

"That was _three years_ ago!"

"And yet, here we are... every time you look at her there's the biggest regret in your eyes."

At that his jaw dropped a bit and the frown on his forehead got stronger.

"It's not your fault." she said. "Feelings like that don't just vanish. If anything you put them away, so you didn't have to deal with them. But now you have to and that scares you. That's why you won't admit it. You said it yourself... you are with me. And you don't want to hurt me but you're also scared to open that box. I am, too. But we can't just go on, pretending nothing's changed... because everything's changed, James."

"That's right. Our cover with the Dharma Initiative got blown and Jack decided to blow up the whole damn island along with it."

She shook her head. "That's not what I'm talking about and you know it."

He took a deep breath. "I don't care... Even if what you're saying were true, I don't care... I don't _want _to be with her."

"This isn't something you can decide whether or not to care about!"

"I ain't deciding anything, that's the way it is! I've known Kate for three months and yeah, I fell in love with her during that time. But I've known and loved _you_ for three _years_... doesn't that count for anythin'?"

"James-"

"No. You wanna go along with Jacky's crazy plan? That's fine. I'll be right beside you, because that's where I'll always be. But first you're gonna _listen_ to me, Blondie."

He let go of her because Juliet didn't seem like she was going to run anymore. And he was right. She stood right there, not moving a muscle.

"Jack and me had our ups and downs, but most of the time I didn't like him very much. But there is one thing I will always be grateful for: He was the one who brought you to us. He trusted you, when no one else did and if he hadn't done that you wouldn't be here today. Hell, _I _wouldn't be here today, without you havin' my back. You saved my life god knows how many times. In _every_ possible way. I don't know how you do it but you always manage to calm me down when I'm about to lose it. No one has ever been able to do that. And it's more than just that. Before I met you I was scum. I used to piss people off, make them hate me, to keep my distance. I was angry at the world, even more at myself and I took it out on everyone else. But you just... never went along with it. I didn't like when people called me James but I never cared with you. And because of you I left Sawyer behind completely. Without even trying you made me a better man."

Juliet shook her head. "I didn't turn you into anything. You have always been that man... you just couldn't see it."

"But you could. You always could... so why can't you believe in me now? In my feelings for you?"

Swallowing hard Juliet bit her lip. "Because I also know how strong your feelings for Kate used to be. And those kind of feelings never really go away..."

"Maybe not. I guess you're even right: I was scared to open that box. But I'm not anymore." It wasn't until that very moment when James realized the truth. "Because no matter what I find in that box with Kate's name on it... next to it there is a Mount Everest, with your name written in illuminated, ridiculously big letters."

Jules let out a short laughter and James smiled, when he continued: "And compared to that... nothin' else matters."

He placed his hands on her cheeks and used his thumbs to wipe away some tears. "Now stop cryin'. You wanna look pretty when this all goes to hell, don't cha?"

Juliet smiled. "Says the man with the bloody face."

He grinned and pulled her close to kiss her. It was a kiss mixed with her tears and his blood but none of them cared, for that kiss was everything they needed to the world to be okay. Of course it didn't matter how long they kissed – Jack was still going all Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Island and even if they survived, no one knew what was going happen when that bomb went off.

"So... you still wanna blow this place up?" James asked after the kiss had ended and he looked into her blue eyes, who were free from sadness now and just as beautiful as ever.

Jules nodded. "I'm afraid so. It's the right thing to do."

James sighed. "I hope you're right, Blondie. But whatever happens... you ain't losin' me."

Smiling, Juliet replied: "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Doesn't matter. When this is all over... I'm sure you can think of a way to make it up to me." A smirk appeared on his lips, which she soon returned.

She crossed her hands behind his neck and looked deep into his eyes as she said: "I love you."

"I love you, too."

And again, he kissed her.

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I hope you enjoyed it! I would be happy if you left a review. Pretty please?

Also I'd like to mention that this is a Oneshot, so there's no need to follow the story. However, I _am_ going to write another story about them and that one will be bigger (and also, a little AU-ish). It'll be a while before I will get to that story. But it's going to happen. So stay tuned, maybe?


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